Stuffer crimping apparatus



Dec. 20, 1966 H EPSTEM 3,292,231

STUFFER GRI MPING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 4, 1964 4 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORHERMAN EPSTEIN Dec. 20, 1966 H. EPSTEIN STUFFER CRIMPING APPARATUS 4Sheets-Sheet 5:

Filed Nov. 4, 1964 mmUZDO IUZ. Z mDOKOP ow on 00 OM ON OON 00v 00w 00wOOO 00m. O0: 009 OOm 0Com CONN OON 00mm 00mm 000m 00mm ocvm ATTOR EY.

Dec. 20, 1966 Filed NOV. 4,

TORQUE IN INCH-OUNCES H. EPSTEIN 3,292,231

STUFFER CRIMPING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3.

TORQUE VS. CONTROL PHASE VOLTAGE LOCKED ROTOR 2800 R.P.M. V

3200 R.P. M.

0 2O 4O 6O 80 I00 I I I I 200 220 240 CONTROL PHASE VOLTAGE INVENTORHERMAN EPSTEIN ATTORNEY.

Dec. 20, 1966 H EPSTEIN STUFFER CRIMPING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed Nov. 4, 1954 A/A f {viii-lulu?! United States Patent 3,292,231STUFFER CRIMPIN G APPARATUS Herman Epstein, 548 S. 11th St., Newark, NJ.07103 Filed Nov. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 408,832 2' Claims. 7 (Cl. 28-1) Thisinvention relates to the texturizing or the crimping of man madefilaments and more specifically to apparatus for increasing theuniformity of the crimped material and thereby facilitating subsequenthandlingsuch 316,379, filed October 15, 1963, entitled ContinuousCrimping of Textile Yarn.

One of the objects of the invention is to increase the uniformity ofcrimping by controlling the speed of the filament at entry into thecrimping or stufling space or chamber in response to the resistance thefilaments encounter when entering the chamber.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric motor drivewhich under a relatively small decrease of speed due to increasingresistance produces a relatively rapid increase of torque permittingmaintaining such speed until the resistance decreases, such decrease inresistance causing an increase of speed until the resistance againincreases. This will permit maintaining under the control of the motoran average density in the stuffing chamber.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a torque speedcharacteristic and having less inclination at higher speed than at lowerspeed.

Another object of the invention is to provide as a stuffing chamber aTeflon tube having a substantially straight vertical extension extendinginto a curved section of approximately the same length as the length ofthe straight section, and reversing the direction of feed.

These and other objects of this invention are more fully apparent fromthe drawing enclosed herein in which:

FIG. 1 represents the physical arrangement of a speed control systemembodying certain principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 indicates a numberof torque speed characteristics for difierentcontrol phase voltage.

FIG. 3 shows torque vs. control phase voltage characteristics atdifferent operating speeds.

FIG. 4 represents schematically but in greater detail, partially incross section, an 'a'ctua'lcrimping space embodying certain principlesof the invention.

FIG. 5, also in cross section, illustrates aportion of this space at asomewhat enlarged scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of an arrangement for producing high bulkin a nylon yarn of 200 denier consisting of 20 filaments andprovidedwith a twist of half turn per inch.

The producers uncrimped yard 1is fed into a pair of crimping rollers 12,13 which are manually set to a starting speed of 3300 r.p.m. with atakeup speed of 300 yards per minute. Rollers 12, 13 are drivensimultaneously through a rigid coupling including gears 14, 15 and belt16 by the combination of a variable torque motor 17 and a voltagecontrol device such as resistance 18. This combination is so adjusted,preferably by manually adjusting voltage control device 18, that isautomatically responds to changes in feed resistance by a continuousvariation in speed throughout a range of say 3150 to 3850 r.p.m.prevailing between start and finish of a takeup package indicated bycone 19 through structural relationship not shown.

Alternatively control resistance 18 can be set manually 3,292,231Patented Dec. 20, 1966 at a certain value by visually observing aposition of the core of yarn accumulating in the resistance area ofstorage tube 10 which in this case can be made translucent ortransparent and preferably consists of Teflon. v

- Storage tube 10 is a continuation of the stuffer chamber properindicated at 11, which consists of a Teflon lined metal tube ofapproximately 9" length and which is surrounded by heating coil 12. Instutter tube 11 the yarn becomes crirnped and reduced in yardage and isalso thermoset, forming a core of about diameter. The core travelsupward through storage tube 10 which extends into a straight section fora length of about 15"., and is then curved for a length of about 30"forming an arc of about 270.

This path provides conditions for resistance, storage and further heatsetting and cooling of the yarn to further insure permanency of thecrimp.

In the initial part of the storage tube 10, the core reaches its highpoint of resistance which controls the response of torque motor 17 andproduces the desired speed correction. It is apparent that the curvatureof the tube 10 should be at least 180 from the straight section attachedto the crimping chamber in order to assist the feed of the crimpedmaterial by gravity.

In accordance with this invention, therefore, motor 17 is caused torespond to the various resistances created by the progressive increaseof takeup speed .as well as by the variation of density of core 13.

In another embodiment of the invention the high density yarn core isallowed to pass the high point area and push into the gravitycont-rolled storage and cooling area of the curved section of thestorage tube 10 so as to form there a resistance area which could beutilized automatically control the motor response directly, or a visualcontrol area used for manual correction.

Such manual correction can be applied by flattening the Teflon tube 10with a metal clip as indicated at 14 and allowing only a single end ofthe crimped. yarn to be pulled out from the end of tube 10 under controlof the takeup mechanism schematically indicated at 15. This permits anyyarn entanglements, so called slubs, created in crimping or in coreformation to be disentangled or pulled out rapidly. The translucency ofTeflon tube 10 also furnishes visual means for observing this responsein that area. This, in turn, indicates whether or not any manualincrease or decrease of resistance was necessary if torque control motor17 failed to synchronize the movement of yarn core with the takeupmechanism 15by progressively increasing speed as the package cone 9grows in size and weight.

As a result of the invention there are no rapid stops and starts ofcrimp movement but a relatively continuous process of crimping at onlyrelatively slight variations in the speed of rollers 12, 13. The packingof the yarn core in tube 10 is constantly varying in density, resultingin resistance variations however, which are only slight.

Torque motor 17 responds with corrected higher and lower speeds varyingby approximately r.p.m. The finished pack-age of yarn is found to beeven in character of crimp formation and high in bulk and permanency ofcrimp.

FIG. 2 shows a number of torque speed characteristics for variouscontrol phase voltages. It is apparent from FIG. 2 that in the operatingrange of the motor around 3000 r.p.m. relatively smaller changes ofspeed will be accompanied by relatively large changes of torque thusdemonstrating the sensitivity, efiiciency and rapidity of control inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 shows the torque as a function of the changes in control phasevoltage at various operating speeds.

FIG. 4 shows the principal elements of a crimping apparatus in which amulti-filament nylon fiber bundle of rather heavy denier, such as 1200,schematically, indicated at 21 is frictionally transported by andbetween a pair of steel rollers 22, 22' into a crimping space or areaschematically indicated at 23. This crimping area may, have and desiredconfiguration or dimension, in accordance with the structure of thematerial, the speed of crimping, the configuration of the crimpeventually desired, and other data.

In the embodiment shown, the crimping area is of substantiallycylindrical configuration in the form of a hollow steel tube 24,press-fitted into another steel tube indicated at 25,'the latter tubebeing connected through a nut attachment 26 to output tube 27 feedingthe crimped material in the direction of arrow 28 to the spoolingarrnagement or to any other processing phase for the crimped fiber.

'The invention, however, is not limited to the rotary shape of crimpingarea 23, but this area may have any desired configuration in accordancewith the structure of the fiber and the crimping configuration desired.

In fact, from experiments underlying the invention, it appears that animportant factor in the crimping process is the pushing or pressing ofthe fiber first in a direction parallel to and against a hard surfaceand eventually contacting it at an angle with respectto that surfacecausing the filament through the impact to be predeterminedly knicked orotherwise deformed'in accordance with the configuration'of the crimp asdesired.

Under these circumstances, a crimping surface may not only be circula rbut also flat or have any desired curvature in accordance with theresults to be obtained.

Further in accordance with the invention, the upper portion of crimpingsurface itself is made in the form of a Teflon coating or a Teflon tubeschematically indicated at 29' and forming an insert'in steel tubing 24.The Teflon tube 29 has been found to act not only as a coupling reducingthe impact of the nylon fiber agglomerated in crimping area 23, after ithas been pushed against steel tube 24, but it also acts as selflubricating means reducing damage to the fiber structure as well as wearand tear of the crimping surface 29 itself to a minimum.

At the same time, Teflon tube 29' also forms a good heat' conductorpermitting the heat produced in the crimping area by the continuousimpact of the fibrous agglomeraftion against tube 29' to be carriedthrough the wall of tube 29' to steel walls 24 and 25.

At the same time, in accordance with a further feature of -theinvention, and when required, crimping is otherwise accelerated orimproved by heating crimping area 23 additionally as shown in FIG. 4schematically by surrounding steel tubes 24 and 25 with electric heatingelements 30, the heat produced by elements 30 being andeffectivelycarried and applied to crimping areas 23 through steel tubes24, 25 andTeflon tube 29"-with a minimum of loss or temperaturegradient.

' The crimping space or area 23, itself, may consist as shown in FIG. 4of two sections following each other,'a smaller section schematicallyindicated at 23, and a slightly larger section schematically indicatedat 23", both sections being provided with plastic coupling coatings inthe, form of two separate Teflon tubes 29 and 29", respectively, theupper tube 29" having a slightly larger diameter,for example, .285 inchand the lower tube 29 having a diameter of say .275 inch. 7

As further apparent from FIG. 4, lower tube 29' is held in place at oneend by a projection-31 on steel tube 24, and at its upper end by a steelwasher 32, which also serves as a base for upper Teflon tube 29", tube,29" in turn, at its upper end is formed with an outer rim 33 (FIG.yvhichis held in place by nut 26 which is welded to output'tube 27. j

All or any of these steel tubes may be replaced by other preferably goodheat conducting material, such as aluminum, without departing from thescope of this invention.

As further apparent from FIG. 5, heat conduction is increased at thebottom of crimping area 23, r and more 1 particularly at the point offilament bundle 21 emerging from feeding rollers 22, 22'.

This improved heat conduction, or a corresponding,

temperature reduction, is achieved by increasing heat transfer bycausing the heat produced by feeding rollers 22, 22' to be effectivelycarried away at least partially or predeterminedly.

In one specific embodiment of this improved heat con-1 duction, filamentbundle 21 is impregnated as schemati-1 I cally indicated by wick 34 fedfrom container 35, prior to reaching the bottom of crimping area 23"witha non-1 reactive but evaporable agent such as alcohol, which whenpassing rollers 22, .22 is quickly evaporated thereby at leasttemporarily reducing the temperature at this point, and preventing thefilament, especially one of low F denier structure, of becoming damagedsubjected to deformation when emerging from the feeding rollers 22,

22' and pushing or being pushed against any, filament agglomeration incrimping area 23', or throughsuch agglomeration against crimping wall29'.

As a further embodiment of the invention, such improved heat conductionor temperature reduction can. be 1 .also or additionally achieved byproviding feed rollers 22, 22' preferably, with radial cooling vanes,schematically indicated in FIG. 5 at 36, which not only increase 1 thesurface of material carrying heat off rollers 22, 22'

but also by their configuration and intimate contact with 1 surroundingair, when rotating, produce an air current preferably in axialdirection, further increasingthe efli-l ciency of heat transfer fromrollers 22, 22'. 7

As a further advantage of the invention, such tem-.

perature reduction can be readily controlled, in the case 1 of theaddition of an evaporant such as alcohol to the 1 filament, by adjustingthe amount of alcohol impregnation. i

In the case of providing vanes attached tothe rollers,

the number of vanes, their shape, and especially their: angle of actioncan be adjusted to cause a predetermined 1 temperature reduction in theycrimping area 23', and especially at its bottom end.

While the invention has been shown and described by way of specificshapes, materials and arrangements of elements, it is not limitedthereto, but it maybe applied 1 in any appropriate manner whatsoeverwithout depart- I ing from the scope of this disclosure.

I claim;

1. In an apparatusfor the crimping of synthetic multifilament fibers,means forming a first substantially cylindrical surface presentingsufficientresistance to said fibers is substantially softer than saidfirst surface; said second surface being followed by means forming athird surface 1 of substantially the same material as that of saidsecond surface, but of a radial extension larger than that of said 1second surface, fourth means surrounding said third sur-1 i facematerial with substantially the same material as that 1 of said firstsurface material, said fourth means extending beyond said third surfacematerial to overlap at least 1 partially said first surface material,said second and third surface materials formed by self-lubricatingplastic cylinders of different diameter, one arranged above the other, 1

and said first and fourth surface materials formed b metal cylinders,one overlapping the other. e 1

2. In combination, a crimping chamber of substantially 1 straightconfiguration, means for feeding the filamentary material to be crimpedinto said chamber in a direction parallel to its axis, said feedingmeans including heat conducting means to permit axial convection of theheat produced by said feeding means, and means attached to the.

crimping chamber for storing and guiding crimped filamentary materialderived from said chamber over an arcuate path of at least 180, saidlast named means comprising a self-lubricating plastic tube, means forcontrolling the exit flow of crimped filamentary material from saidtube; and a take-up mechanism for removing crimped filamentary materialfrom said tube; said path providing for subsequent treatment conditionsof the crimped filamentary material and assisting the feeding thereof bygravity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,460 8/ 1943Rugeley 19-66 X 2,488,997 11/1949 Thomburg 62-64 X 6 8/1951 Briscoe eta1 62-64 X 11/1951 Rainard 19-66 X 11/1951 Rainard 19-66 5/1957 Pfau28-72 X 8/ 1960 Heijnis et a1 28-1 3/ 1962 Scragg 19-66 X 8/ 1962Trimborn 263-6 7/1963 Rainard et a1. 19-66 X 6/ 1964 Mattson 19-66 X 3/1965 Mattingly et a1 278-1 8/1965 Duga et a1 28-72 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1959 Australia.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR THE CRIMPING OF SYNETHETIC MULTIFILAMENT FIBERS, MEANS FORMING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SURFACE PRESENTING SUFFICIENT RESISTANCE TO SAID FIBERS WHEN PUSHED AGAINST IT TO CAUSE THEIR DEFORMATION, MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID FIBERS UPWARD IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SURFACE TO BE DEVIATED FROM SAID DIRECTION AND PUSHED AGAINST SAID SURFACE ANDMEANS FOLLOWING SAID FIRST SURFACE AND FORMING A SECOND SURFACE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY SOFTER THAN SAID FIRST SURFACE; SAID SECOND SURFACE BEING FOLLOWED BY MEANS FORMING A THIRD SURFACE OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME MATERIAL AS THAT OF SAID SECOND SURFACE, BUT OF A RADIAL EXTENSION LARGER THAN THAT OF SAID SECOND SURFACE, FOURTH MEANS SURROUNDING SAID THIRD SURFACE MATERIAL WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME MATERIAL AS THAT OF SAID FIRST SURFACE MATERIAL, SAID FOURTH MEANS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID THIRD SURFACE MATERIAL TO OVERLAP AT LEAST PARTIALLY SAID FIRST SURFACE MATERIAL, SAID SECOND AND THIRD SURFACE MATERIALS FORMED BY SELF-LUBRICATING PLASTIC CYLINDERS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETER, ONED ARRANGED ABOVE THE OTHER, AND SAID FIRST AND FOURTH SURFACE MATERIALS FORMED BY METAL CYLINDERS, ONE OVERLAPPING THE OTHER. 